News

Published: 1/26/2012 7:11:00 PM - Author: none'Federal government spending cuts could chop between 60,000 and 68,000 jobs from the public service in the next few years, a report from a progressive think-tank estimates.

The conclusion stems from a review of three separate rounds of restraint since 2007, and it suggests once completed in 2015, the federal public service could be trimmed to the lowest staffing levels since 2000...'

Published: 1/26/2012 7:07:00 PM - Author: none'...Nations who owe money to other nations, or to private banks, do not need to operate like a family with a credit card, says Skidelsky. He warns that doing so will only bring about more economic woe...'

The executive committee of the Plumbing Officials’ Association of British Columbia (POABC) voted and confirmed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will allow for certification examinations to be provided by the Building Officials’ Association of British Columbia (BOABC)...'

Published: 1/26/2012 6:55:00 PM - Author: none'The human resource department at Vancouver-based Ledcor Group of Companies has expanded to fill the large number of current vacancies, which is driven by demand for new construction and the acquisition of existing companies.

“Right now we are looking at existing work and any new work we get which aligns with the skilled people we are looking for,” said Sue Malik, director of talent acquisition with Ledcor...

Ledcor’s website shows the company currently has openings for 200 positions. According to Malik, the company could be looking for as many as 1,000 positions at any given time.

Published: 1/26/2012 6:45:00 PM - Author: none'...While Wall Street slashes the kind of banking and trading positions that were once the most coveted for top graduates, energy firms can’t hire fast enough for the technical jobs that have been all but overlooked for a generation.

The shale boom has run into many obstacles: environmental concerns from earthquakes to water safety, a lack of needed materials and logistical bottlenecks.

But the shortage of specialty engineers may prove one of the most vexing...'

Published: 1/26/2012 6:39:00 PM - Author: none'...The beef industry applauded the reopening of the market and called on Ottawa to immediately reopen free-trade talks with South Korea.

“We should move forward swiftly with the free-trade agreement negotiations,” said Scott Entz, president of the Canadian Meat Council.

Before the recession hit in 2008, bilateral trade between the two countries was worth roughly $10-billion a year. Canada’s major exports to South Korea are oil, wood pulp, nickel, machinery and aluminum. Before the beef ban, South Korea was the industry’s fourth largest export market...'

Published: 1/26/2012 6:26:00 PM - Author: none'Canadian engineer and entrepreneur Jim Lotimer has built the world’s largest company in a small but crucial technology niche – making monitoring devices that allow researchers to track animals, birds and fish in almost any environment.

Published: 1/26/2012 6:21:00 PM - Author: none'...That means there must be a thorough reappraisal of the regulatory framework, asking whether the same degree of regulation is needed, and, if so, what tools are available to deal with the new media landscape, he said.

The highest-profile threat is so-called over-the-top broadcasting, in which movies and TV programs are streamed through the Internet, bypassing standard cable or satellite delivery that falls under Canadian content and ownership rules. The CRTC chair says the over-the-top onslaught is just one symptom of the wider obsolescence of traditional regulatory gate-keeping...'

Published: 1/26/2012 6:07:00 PM - Author: none'...McGuinty's speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto will make a direct link between the need to stay on track to slay the province's $16-billion deficit and the need to grow the economy and create private-sector jobs, said a senior government source...'

Published: 1/26/2012 6:02:00 PM - Author: none'...The extension... is great news for Canadian lumber workers and their families,” he added.

"This extension agreement will bring much-needed stability and predictability to the lumber industry. We are sending a clear message that our government is committed to securing predictable access to the U.S. market and strengthening the financial security of Canadians."...'